The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-11-17
THE FUNERAL.
Obsequies of the Five Dead An
archlsts at Chicago, Sun
day Last.
Description of the Procession
Which, Strangely Enough,
Passes the Historic
Haymarket.

CHICAGO, ILL.,, November 13.-The most
striking view of the anarchist funeral pro-
cession to-day was obtained at the corner
of Lake and Desplaines streets, for il
brought so wildly to mind the scenes OF
May 4, 1886, when the bomb was thrown.
1t was just 40 O'Clock when the head of
the line reached the spot. At the corner
is the saloon and hall of Charles Hepf,
the anarchist. IL was to this saloon that
Parsons took his wife aud children after
he had finished his speech at the Haymar-
ket, and where they sat when the bomb
was thrown. Two hundred feet south of
the corner was the place where stood the
wagon from which Spies and his comrades
delivered their harangues and counseled
the throttling of the law, and here, too,
was the alley from which the kissing and
fatal bomb was hurled into the ranks
of the police. A little farther south
is the spot where the missile
fell and did such awful destruction.
Was it by accident or design that the pa
rade wound around this historic corner
was the question asked by hundreds. And
the line of march took the marching army
of sympathizers directly past Gref's hall,
in the basement of which the group of
"reds" used to hold nightly conferences
and instruct each other in the use of dyna-
mite and practice the manual of arms.
At the hour above mentioned the first
line of men could be seen crossing Des-
PLANES street viaduot, where in 1878 a
bloody fight took place between the po-
lice and railroad strikers. There was no
advance guard of police Chief Marshal
Charles Hepp, with two aids, led the way.
They wore no red, but simple black
clothes and Grape on their arms. Then
came the brilliantly dressed corps of
musicians, dressed in the colors of the
German army, and on their heads were
spiked helmets. A strange scene. The
bandmaster carried sword in his hand,
and bore striking resemblance to King
William of Prussia. As this
band passed Seeps' hall, which was
opened and filled with drinking men, it
struck up a dirge, rs did, in fact, every
other band in the procession, and there
were at least fifteen of them. Following
the first corps of musicians walked the
defense committee of the men who had
charge of collecting the funds with which
it was hoped to save the "reds" from their
B fate. George Schilling led the commit.
: tee, and carried in his hands floral trib-
ute. Following them marched, eight
abreast, nearly 200 members of the Aurora
Turnverein, of which August Spies was a
member. The whole society was not out,
as many of the members are not in sym
patty with anarchy. Four hundred of
Vorwait's Turner society came next, wear
ing red badges on their breasts. This
branch of the Turner's is more strongly
tinctured with socialism than any other in
the city. One hundred of the Verschre;tt
branch came next, and then followed the
feature of the procession. 1t was the
HEARsE OF AUGUST SPIES.
There were nodding black plumes on it,
but the top was so covered with the floral
tributes that nothing else could be seem.
Inside was the richly covered casket.
Y Standing out in bold relief against the
black broadcloth of the coffin was thrown
great sash of red silk. 1t was all the
more striking because no flowers had been
8 placed inside to interfere with the idea Of
4 having Spies beloved colors shown to
the public, even after his death. The
crowds on the street corner strained
their necks to get glimpse of this most
Imposing of all the hearses in the pageant.
8 Then another band wheeled into Lake
street playing dirge. 1t was in front of
many hundred members of the Central
4 Labor union, the members of which are
among the most extreme socialists of the
city. Behind them walked the black horses
whi h drew the hearse in which lay the
coffin of Adolph Fischer, he who yelled
"Hurrah for anarchy" at the moment
~ HE WAS HANGED.
His hearse had not so many flowers on
it as did that of his comrade Spies, but
there were enough to show that, although
he was poor man, yet his fellow social
< lists had not failed to remember him. But
for some reason no red silk emblem of his
faith had been thrown across the casket
in which were his remains.
Then came the funeral carriage of A. R.
Parsons. On the box by the driver sat a
man holding in his hands floral emblem
of such immense size that the inscription
of flowers, "From knights of Labor AS
sembly 1907" could be seen 100 feet away.
This is the assembly to which Parsons be-
longed until it was kicked out of the Or
der for its adherence to the cause of the
"reds." For the reason that this was the
only floral piece on or in the hearse, ii at
tracted all the more attention. Then
there was another little thing about Par
sons coffin. Instead of a great sash of
red thrown across it, there was a simple
strip of red silk ribbon, which was trailed
carelessly from the head of the casket to
almost the center, and was then strung
along the floor of the heRrse until it
wound itself into little heap at the foot.
IL is
SUGGESTIVE OF A SERPENT,
was the remark of an onlooker. Then
along came another escort of the Central
Labor union, the butchers and bakers and
Representatives of all sorts of trades. Be-
hind these were drawn the hearse of
George Engel and Louis Ling, the suicide,
They were friends in life and lived to.
gether, and, in the funeral pageant, were
placed in close proximity. Over both
the black collins were the inevitable red
Banners, under which the N en- had fought.
Several floral pieces were carried behind
By stalwart men. All through this, which
may be called the first part of the demon =
stration, were interpreted carriages
containing relatives and few near
Friends of the dead anarchists; but the
original programme was changed in a
bury, and, in the confusion of getting the
line together, the carriages Of the mourn
=. ers became somewhat mixed.
The next feature Of the procession was
the turnout of the people who followed